‘The banter at Altnagelvin hospital’s laundry was great’
Mark McFadden (53) is a UTV broadcaster and journalist. He lives in Londonderry with wife Donna and they have three children, Jack (25), Kate (23) and Michael (19). He says:
My first ever job was the least glamorous job you could image — I worked in a hospital laundry when I was a student at Queen’s University.
My first summer of university when I was 18, almost 19, I spent two-and-a-half months working in the laundry at Altnagelvin Hospital. Back in the 1980s, the
health service recruited student staff on a temporary basis every summer and you just went in and applied for any positions that were available.
My mum and dad were always very keen for us to get into the world of work to earn a bit of money and learn about life.
In the laundry room, we got huge metal carts filled with sheets and gowns from the surgical theatres, some coming splattered in blood and who knows what else.
It was a hot summer and some of these things would sit for a day or two before being dealt with — you can imagine the aroma was quite something.
I’ve got to say it was incredible fun. I loved every minute of it because the people I was working with were just a great bunch.
It was mainly middle-aged and older women with just a few men but, bear in mind, I was an 18-year old man, so to me people seemed a lot older then.
Even so, the banter was great. It was a very noisy environment and you had to shout to be heard when work was on, but everyone had a great time and helped each other.
The work never stopped because hospital life never stops — it’s 24/7.
We started early and finished late, but it was brutally rewarding, funny and enjoyable.
A bit of hard work is good — it’s always better to wear out than to rust.
As a poor student, getting my first pay was just wonderful. I remember treating myself to a few concert tickets and a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans — bear in mind, I was young and thin back then!